A pair of Pacific Division rivals will meet in the desert
tonight as the Phoenix Coyotes welcome the Los Angeles Kings for a clash at
Jobing.com Arena.
The Coyotes have surprised many people by going 9-4-0 in the first month of
the season and are currently in the midst of a three-game winning streak.
Phoenix didn't get its ninth victory of the season last year until November
26.
Phoenix is off to the third-best start through the first 13 games of a season
in club history and can match the franchise record for reaching 10 wins in the
fewest number of games to start a year with a victory tonight. The 1998-99
Coyotes recorded their 10th win in the 14th game of the season, going 10-2-2.
The Coyotes are coming off a divisional win as it edged visiting Anaheim in a
shootout on Saturday. Radim Vrbata netted the lone goal in the deciding
segment to lift the Coyotes to a 3-2 decision.
Robert Lang and Vernon Fiddler scored in regulation for the Coyotes, who have
won seven of their last nine games overall. Ilya Bryzgalov made 32 saves in
the win and is 8-3-0 on the year.
Vrbata beat Jonas Hiller on the backhand to begin the shootout segment, and
Bryzgalov turned away Anaheim's trio of Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf and Teemu
Selanne to secure the two points.
The Coyotes are 4-2-0 as the host this year and are capping a two-game
homestand tonight.
The Kings have lost their last two games in the shootout, but come into
tonight having recorded a point in six straight contests. LA had won four in a
row before dropping consecutive 2-1 decisions to San Jose and Vancouver.
The loss against the Sharks came on the road Wednesday and the Kings were
handed a home setback the following night by the Canucks. Mikael Samuelsson
scored in regulation and had the game-winner in the shootout, lifting
Vancouver to the 2-1 decision at Staples Center.
Scott Parse lit the lamp, while Jonathan Quick stopped 14 shots for the Kings.
"Overall the team played great, both nights we out-played them and we out-shot
them," Quick said of the shootout losses. "You got to take away the positives:
the team's playing great and we took both teams into a shootout. Unfortunately
we ended up on the short end of the stick there, so you just got to keep
pushing, keep doing what you're doing, and get back at it tomorrow."
The Kings are 4-3-1 on the road this year and have dropped four of their last
six games as the visitor.
LA and the Coyotes have already played twice this season with each team
winning a game at the opposition's rink. Phoenix has taken five of eight
overall in the series and eight of 11 in the desert. However, the Kings do
have two victories in their last three trips to Glendale.
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